The Hidden
by greenliandakes
Summary: It wasn't supposed to be like this. She wasn't supposed to forget. But she did. And she was never going to let them feel as alone as she did. Because she protected her own, and nothing could make her forget that. Sasu/OC


**A/N: **Hello all, and welcome to _Lost & Found_! Before we begin, I would like to explain a couple things. First off, this is a reboot of _The Black __Guardian_. For those of who started reading _TBG_: Names have changed, plots have changed, and situations have changed. Although, I will admit, some remains the same and may look familiar. Stick with me though. For those who haven't red _TBG:_ Well. This is entirely new for you! :D

Also, I want to make this something I will continuously work on, and hopefully complete. I have the same goal with _Daelight_ (A Batman fanfic of mine, if anyone's interested), so I'm thinking of making a schedule of sorts. This will, I pray, be easier now since summer has arrived, but I'll keep you updated. I'll try not to make it so long between new chapters- something I have a dreadful habit of doing.

This takes place right after episode 19 of the original series (the Land of Waves arc) and will continue through from there.

That's all for now! Enjoy!

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Chapter Song: Welcome Home by Radical Face

Chapter Quote: "Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple." -Dr. Suess

Chapter 1: Hope

It was hot, I was aware of that much. The sun beat down relentlessly on the golden skin exposed by my tattered clothing and my short tresses hung limply before my eyes, every part of me grimy and gross with sweat and dried blood. I had no idea where I was, or where I was going- the only thing buzzing about my brain was the knowledge that I was in desperate need of food and water and sleep. But I would not find rest, as I was beyond exhaustion and now nothing short of a mindless zombie.

My upbringing should have prevented it; my training should have made this situation avoidable. At the very least, my survival instincts should have done _something_. But they hadn't, and so I wandered aimlessly, praying for someone to find and save me before it was too late.

Unable to do much of anything else at that point, I collapsed, landing face-first onto the ground, not even finding the strength to groan in pain or disappointment. All I could do was lie there until I was found, baked by the sun, picked off by predators, starved to death, or went completely mad from lack of water. Or even suffocate due to the amount of dirt stuffed up my nostrils and mouth.

If I were conscious enough to do so, I might have berated myself for being so vulnerable.

Far off in the distance, I heard someone calling out, to me I supposed. I brushed it off as a hallucination and did not respond, enjoying the cool darkness the ground beneath me provided. And then I was being turned over and held carefully as the bright sun blinded me. I twisted my head slightly, meeting the intense gaze of a familiar man with golden eyes and shocking blue hair, not unlike my own.

"Chichi?" I rasped out, hope lifting my spirits slightly. Was I dreaming, or had I died already? Could it be possible that daddy was still alive?

"She's delirious. We need get her back to Konoha, fast." The very _unfamiliar _voice shattered the illusion, and then I was facing a man I had never before seen. His silver hair was styled in the _wildest _fashion, with only one dark eye visible, the left covered by his Hitai-ate. As I stared, his eye grew concerned, yet stayed cautious and reserved. My own eyes traveled down his face, taking in the blue mask that covered everything from the bridge of his nose, down to his neck where it tucked into a dark blue sleeved shirt and green vest.

"Kakashi-sensei, who is she?" I winced at the new and sudden loud volume of another presence that came from somewhere next to me.

Too loud, too obnoxious: would it stop?

"Hn. Looks like we're not the only ones that think so, dobe."

"Oi, teme! Shut your mouth!"

…Had I spoken aloud? Well, I had always been thoughtless with my words, I suppose. Or was I careful? I couldn't remember which. Come to think of it, I couldn't remember much of anything about myself any longer. And I was too tired to even try.

"Naruto, your water," the man who supported me demanded and held out his hand expectantly. Not a second later, a canteen swam into focus and was being held against my chapped and bleeding lips. As soon as the first cool droplet touched my tongue, I miraculously found the energy to raise my arms and force him to tip the canteen even more. After I nearly choked, however, he pulled the wonderful supply of water away from my mouth and handed it back to the owner. "Careful. That should hold you off until we get you to the Hospital," he told me before shifting me in his arms and standing. Once I was settled, a breeze of wind brushed against my face and suddenly the trees and clouds were shooting past.

They were running, whoever 'they' were.

But I didn't want to look, choosing to focus on the symbol inscribed on the kind man's Hitai-ate. If I remembered correctly (and I wasn't going to fully rely on my memory) the symbol should mean that he belonged to the small Leaf Village- Konohagakure. This would make sense, as he did mention bringing me to Konoha earlier, I just never fully processed that bit of information until now.

Idly, I wondered what Konohagakure was like. Had I been there? It sounded oddly familiar, so maybe I had. Or perhaps it was Kusagakure? …And what were they known for again? Where did _I _come from? Why was I wandering around, dirty and bloody?

The more I tried to think, the more the details became fuzzy, and at some point, I must have given up. Because soon, all I knew was welcoming darkness.

~_L&F_~

When Kakashi and his team arrived at Konoha Hospital, the nurse acting as receptionist quickly called in another group of nurses with a stretcher. Carefully, as to not disrupt anything that may have been broken, he laid the battered and bruised young girl on it, and they quickly carted her away. One, however, remained behind with a clipboard and began asking him a series of questions.

Name? Not a clue.

Age? Perhaps Naruto's age: twelve. Fourteen, if that.

Kunoichi or citizen? From the looks of her clothing, he'd say yes, she was a kunoichi. But, judging from the lack of a fore-head protector proclaiming her loyalties? He wasn't sure. And due to her badly sunburnt, half-starved, exhausted state, any muscles that should have been prominent on a shinobi weren't on her.

Alright, allergies? At this, Kakashi fixed the young nurse with a dry look. Hadn't he made it obvious he had no idea who that girl was? With a blush and muttered apology, she scampered away, and Kakashi tiredly pinched the bridge of his nose.

He'd have to inform the Hokage of the girl as well. Something he was not looking forward to.

Meanwhile, the rest of Team 7 stood impatiently in front of the hospital, waiting for their leader. Luckily enough for them, they were on their way home from a mission, and weren't expected to be anywhere. But Kakashi hadn't yet excused them, and therefore they were unable to leave.

Sakura, at least, had enough compassion to fret over the stranger they had just rescued. "I hope she'll be alright," she murmured, staring at the hospital doors as she chewed her lip.

"Ah, she'll be fine!" Naruto said breezily, "She's in good hands!" Sakura shot him a glare.

"Can't you be a _little _more caring?" she snapped. Naruto's eyes widened as he held up his hands defensively.

"I was trying, honest!"

Before she could smack him though, Kakashi strode through the doors and straight past them with his hands in his pockets, muttering a simple sentence. "Keep an eye on her." This disappointed Naruto greatly, as he had wanted Ramen for dinner, and he loudly voiced his complaint. "That's an order Naruto."

Naruto groaned, understanding the subtle meaning: if he didn't listen, there would be consequences.

~_L&F_~

Depleted chakra, pounding migraine, sore limbs… Strange taste in mouth… I went through the mental list of what was causing me discomfort before groaning out of mild pain and forcing my eyes open, only wanting to shut them tight again. Bright sunlight filtered in through a clean window across the room from the bed I lied on, and it nearly blinded me. I shifted around, feeling cotton sheets beneath my body, and tried opening my eyes again, slowly this time. When they were pried all the way open,-

"Hey! She's awake!"

-I jumped about ten feet into the air with a scream.

"Get away! Don't touch me!" was my immediate response as I scrambled away from the blonde boy leaning over the edge of my bed. I fell off the opposite side with a heavy thump and a sudden squeal when my tailbone contacted with the floor. "Oh, pain, pain, hurt," I moaned and grimaced, trying not to move.

"Are you alright?" the boy asked, running around the bed to see if I was still freaking _breathing_.

"Naruto! What have you done this time?" And a pink-haired, green eyed girl was standing beside him, hands on her hips and a very angry expression on her face. It softened, however, when she faced me. "Sorry about that, Naruto is a little… _exuberant_." She tossed a glare his way with the final word. I could only stare at her, too shocked to say anything. "What's wrong?"

"Your hair…" I began.

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Well… It… It's _pink_!" and I shot up to my feet and rushed toward her, fingering the long pink locks. "How is this even genetically_ possible_?"

She seemed slightly offended, jumping out of my reach and sputtering out, "Well, y-your hair is blue!"

My eyes flashed up to meet her green ones as I dug a hand into my own hair, tugging it down so I could see. I found this to be slightly difficult, since it was cut to a severely short length, but when I pulled a long enough strand down in front of my face, I was sufficiently surprised. I squealed again and tugged down more forcefully. "It _is_!" I cried with astonishment. The pieces of hair I saw were a bright azure sort of color, borderline aqua. It was shocking, to say the least, and I wondered how on earth _my _hair was genetically possible.

And then I saw _him_. The pale, dark-haired boy leaning against the wall near the door, arms crossed and completely ignoring everyone in the room. He was most interesting, or rather _his_ _hair_ was most interesting. Forgetting the other two, I trotted over and stopped directly in front of him, where I just stood, staring. I cocked my head, wanting to reach out and _touch_ the spiked up end. It was just an overwhelming urge!

Didn't he have any _idea _that the back of his head looked like a _chicken's backside?_

A set of gasps came from the other side of the room, where Pinky and Blondie (for lack of more appropriate names) stared at me with complete shock. And then Blondie fell into a fit of hysterical laughter, while the pink one glared at me with the utmost hatred- like I had insulted her. The boy I had been investigating opened his eyes, and they intensely bore directly into mine as his mouth settled into a perpetual frown. Glaring, I realized. He was glaring at me. But why? What had I said? What had I done?

And then it hit me.

I slapped a hand over my mouth, feeling a blush rush up my neck and flood my cheeks. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean to say that! It just… slipped out!" But the damage was already done; two people I didn't even know were already angry with me. Granted, another one was cracking up as if I were a comedic genius, so that made me feel just a tiny bit better.

"Oh, that was great!" Blondie roared, wiping tears from his eyes and chuckling a little. "Hey! You're not so bad! I thought you were gonna be some boring little girl!"

...For the life of me, I couldn't figure out whether or not I should have been affronted.

"My name's Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage! That's Sakura-chan, and that idiot over there is Sasuke. What's your name?" he continued. I opened my mouth, about to tell him exactly who I was, when…

When I couldn't conjure up any information about myself. Nothing. So, I faltered, my mouth shutting again with uncertainty. This was impossible. Completely and utterly impossible. How could I have forgotten my own name? But it wasn't just that. Everything about my family (if I had one), my birthright, my entire past was just… gone. Like my brain had been wiped clean of everything except the basics. I knew how to talk, obviously, and I knew how to walk. I knew what things were- like chair, bed, or vase. But there were no memories associated with learning these things. How, though? How could my memory be nearly completely erased?

I shut my eyes tightly, concentrating on trying to retrieve something from my memory banks. There was nothing to retrieve. Everything was blank. The only thing I came up with was a headache and a feeling of exasperation. I opened my eyes and tried to swallow the rising panic. What was I going to do? Where would I go?

"Hey, what's wrong with you? Didn't you hear me? What's your name?" The blonde boy was waving a hand in front of my face, his eyebrows drawn together in concern. I blinked.

"I… Don't know. Oh, God. I don't know who I am." Shaking, I ran a hand through my hair without even thinking about it. But immediately, I caught myself doing it and began to hope. Was this a habit? Did I do this when I was stressed? If so, my body may know me better than my brain. But there was still so many questions! Was I laidback or uptight? Sarcastic and mean, or funny and kind? Was I serious? Neurotic? Lazy?

"No worries!" Naruto (That _was_ what he introduced himself as, right?) interrupted my oncoming anxiety attack with a bright, easy going grin that stretched all the way to his ears. "We'll help you out!" The girl, Sakura, nodded in agreement… I thought she was mad at me.

"First, we should settle on what to call you though." she said. "Any ideas?"

Any ideas? _My memory was gone. _Meaning, _I don't know of any names._ But instead of saying exactly that, I just shook my head.

"Well then, let's see…" Sakura trailed off, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "What to call you…"

"I know! Udon!"

Sakura bopped Naruto hard on the head, sending him crashing to the floor. I jumped, startled, and felt immensely bad for poor Naruto. "We are _not _naming her after noodles, _Na-ru-to._" Sakura growled. "Besides, that's a boy's name."

"Owwww! Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined, but he went unheard.

"How about Nakushita?"

Instantly I detested the name. It was such a mouthful! "Too long."

"Um, Miku?" Naruto shot that one down before I could say my opinion. Thankfully, however, our opinions matched: it did not seem to fit me. Whoever I was. "Yoko?" Once again, negative responses, making Sakura grow aggravated. She looked to the dark, standoffish boy, her entire demeanor changing in the blink of an eye. "I don't know, then! Sasuke-kun? What do you think?" she asked sweetly.

We turned to the dark male. For a long while, it was quiet. He hadn't even acknowledged us, and I felt that the silence was becoming a bit awkward. So, I spoke.

"It's alright, he doesn't have to-"

"Masa," he cut me off. I blinked and stared at him while I repeated the name mentally. Masa… It could work. Simple, easy to remember- not too feminine, but not too masculine either. I grinned acceptingly.

"I like it. Masa it is!" And I faced the other two, who were gaping at Sasuke like fish out of water. Strange. It seemed as if Sasuke's friends hadn't expected him to actually offer any input. Really, I hadn't expected him to either, but apparently he was more detached than I originally guessed. "Um, Naruto? Sakura?"

Sakura was the first to snap out of it, shaking her head as if to clear it and sending a bright smile my way. "Oh! Well, Masa! Welcome to Konoha! Maybe later on when you've been discharged, I can show you around! Something might trigger your memory."

"You think?" I asked hopefully, and when Sakura nodded encouragingly, I let a gentle smile stretch my lips. "I'd like that, thank you, Sakura."

"Ne, Sakura-chan, can I come too?" Naruto asked politely.

All traces of kindness disappeared. "No!"

"Eh!"

I quickly stepped forward and gripped Naruto's arm, giving Sakura a pleading look. "Can't Naruto come? I'm sure he won't be a bother, right, Naruto?" I elbowed him in the stomach, warning him, and he eagerly agreed. Sakura seemed unable to say no as she stared at us, grinning like a pair of idiots.

"Oh, alright!" she sighed, agitated. Naruto and I triumphantly smiled at each other and I felt a warm sort of feeling settle in my chest.

Had I just made friends?

~_L&F_~

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**A/N: **I think I might take the next two chapters to settle 'Masa' into Konoha and introduce her to several more people. I want to take this slow, including the relationships. Naruto and Masa will not be romantically involved, however they will be close. Sort of like when you meet someone and you just know you're going to be best friends, you know? They'll be like siblings to each other. I just want to make that clear.

Review?


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